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      <h2 class="story_headline">
      Fair and Equal Housing Opportunity Policy</h2>

      <p class="story_body"><b>The Fair Housing Act</b></p>
      <p class="story_body">The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in 
      housing because of: </p>
      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Race or color</li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">National origin</li>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Religion</li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Sex</li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Familial status (including children under the age 
        of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people 
        securing custody of children under 18)</li>
        <li>

        <p class="story_body">Handicap (Disability) </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body"><b>What Housing Is Covered?</b> </p>
      <p class="story_body">The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some 
      circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than 
      four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a 
      broker, and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit 
      occupancy to members. </p>
      <p class="story_body"><b>What Is Prohibited? </b></p>
      <p class="story_body">In the Sale and Rental of Housing: No one may take 
      any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, 
      religion, sex, familial status or handicap: </p>

      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to rent or sell housing </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to negotiate for housing </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Make housing unavailable </li>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Deny a dwelling </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Set different terms, conditions or privileges for 
        sale or rental of a dwelling </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Provide different housing services or facilities
        </li>
        <li>

        <p class="story_body">Falsely deny that housing is available for 
        inspection, sale, or rental </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">For profit, persuade owners to sell or rent 
        (blockbusting) or </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Deny anyone access to or membership in a facility 
        or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or 
        rental of housing. </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">In Mortgage Lending: No one may take any of the 
        following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 
        familial status or handicap (disability): </li>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to make a mortgage loan </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to provide information regarding loans </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, 
        such as different interest rates, points, or fees </li>
        <li>

        <p class="story_body">Discriminate in appraising property </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to purchase a loan or </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a 
        loan. </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body">In Addition: It is illegal for anyone to: </p>

      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with 
        anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise 
        that right </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Advertise or make any statement that indicates a 
        limitation or preference based on race, color, national origin, 
        religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. This prohibition against 
        discriminatory advertising applies to single-family and owner-occupied 
        housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act. </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body"><b>Additional Protection If You Have a Disability
      </b></p>

      <p class="story_body">If you or someone associated with you: </p>
      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Have a physical or mental disability (including 
        hearing, mobility and visual impairments, chronic alcoholism, chronic 
        mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and mental retardation) that 
        substantially limits one or more major life activities </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Have a record of such a disability or </li>
        <li>

        <p class="story_body">Are regarded as having such a disability </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body">your landlord <b>may not</b>: </p>
      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to let you make reasonable modifications to 
        your dwelling or common use areas, at your expense, if necessary for the 
        disabled person to use the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord may 
        permit changes only if you agree to restore the property to its original 
        condition when you move.) </li>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, 
        policies, practices or services if necessary for the disabled person to 
        use the housing. </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body">Example: A building with a &quot;no pets&quot; policy must 
      allow a visually impaired tenant to keep a guide dog. </p>
      <p class="story_body">Example: An apartment complex that offers tenants 
      ample, unassigned parking must honor a request from a mobility-impaired 
      tenant for a reserved space near her apartment if necessary to assure that 
      she can have access to her apartment. </p>
      <p class="story_body">However, housing need not be made available to a 
      person who is a direct threat to the health or safety of others or who 
      currently uses illegal drugs. </p>

      <p class="story_body"><b>Requirements for New Buildings </b></p>
      <p class="story_body">In buildings that are ready for first occupancy 
      after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and four or more units: </p>
      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Public and common areas must be accessible to 
        persons with disabilities </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">Doors and hallways must be wide enough for 
        wheelchairs </li>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">All units must have:
        <ul>
          <li>
          <p class="story_body">An accessible route into and through the unit
          </li>
          <li>
          <p class="story_body">Accessible light switches, electrical outlets, 
          thermostats and other environmental controls </li>
          <li>

          <p class="story_body">Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later 
          installation of grab bars and </li>
          <li>
          <p class="story_body">Kitchens and bathrooms that can be used by 
          people in wheelchairs. </li>
        </ul>
        </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body">If a building with four or more units has no 
      elevator and will be ready for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, these 
      standards apply to ground floor units. </p>

      <p class="story_body">These requirements for new buildings do not replace 
      any more stringent standards in State or local law. </p>
      <p class="story_body"><b>Housing Opportunities For Families </b></p>
      <p class="story_body">Unless a building or community qualifies as housing 
      for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That 
      is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children 
      under 18 live with: </p>
      <ul>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">A parent </li>
        <li>

        <p class="story_body">A person who has legal custody of the child or 
        children or </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">The designee of the parent or legal custodian, 
        with the parent or custodian's written permission. </li>
      </ul>
      <p class="story_body">Familial status protection also applies to pregnant 
      women and anyone securing legal custody of a child under 18. </p>
      <p class="story_body">Exemption: Housing for older persons is exempt from 
      the prohibition against familial status discrimination if: </p>
      <ul>

        <li>
        <p class="story_body">The HUD Secretary has determined that it is 
        specifically designed for and occupied by elderly persons under a 
        Federal, State or local government program or </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or 
        older or </li>
        <li>
        <p class="story_body">It houses at least one person who is 55 or older 
        in at least 80 percent of the occupied units, and adheres to a policy 
        that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older. </li>
      </ul>

      <p class="story_body">A transition period permits residents on or before 
      September 13, 1988, to continue living in the housing, regardless of their 
      age, without interfering with the exemption.</p>
      <p class="story_body"><b>Landlord Responsibilities</b></p>
      <p class="story_body">We require that all landlords who post listings in 
      this database adhere to the aforementioned regulations and are bound by 
      law to these guidelines.&nbsp; Any landlords who engage in behavior that 
      violates these laws will be promptly removed from the Off Campus Housing 
      website and turned over to local authorities.</p>
      <p class="story_body"><i>Portions of the above text from
      <a href="http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/index.cfm">US Department 
      of Housing and Urban Development</a>.&nbsp; Reprinted legally under their 
      site policy.</i></p>
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